things I hate about you
by kuroi gami
Summary: As 7th years, our friends get an interesting assignment in Muggle Studies, and it;s a perfect way for Ron to express his feeligns for Harry


Ten Things I Hate About You  
  
Harry looked over his divination homework. He didn't really understand why, but he continued on with the class. 'I should have dropped it. Like Hermione,' He thought looking over at his friend, who was doing her charms homework.  
  
"I'm glad you didn't drop it." Ron said suddenly. "It would be boring without you."  
  
"How did you know what I was thinking?" Harry asked.  
  
Ron shrugged, "I could just tell."  
  
"Well, it was a little wierd."  
  
"Sorry." Ron looked back down at his muggle studies homework. He had to pick his favorite lines from a muggle movie that had been assigned to each of them. He had gotten "Ten Things I Hate About You." Then he had to write them down, read them out loud and explain how these lines could fit into his life, or why they he liked them. Harry had gotten the movie "The Replacements" and had picked the lines "This is the part where I should say something inspirational, but that just wouldn't be our style. Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever." It was very fitting seeing as how he was the captain of the Gryffindor house team, it was their final year, and the speech was do the day before the last game Harry would play on the Gryffindor team. Hermione had gotten the movie "Terminator" and had chosen the line "I'll be back." It worked for her because she was almost sure to end up working at Hogwarts as a teacher someday.  
  
Ron was having trouble picking lines out of the movie. No that wasn't true, he knew the lines he was going to use, he was having trouble trying to explain them and why they applied to his life. He sighed and scrunched up a piece of parchment, chucking it into the fire.  
  
Harry watched as Ron frustratedly threw yet another piece of parchment into the fire. He wanted to try and help his friend, but really didn't know how. He wasn't the one that knew how to make people feel better, that was Ron. He looked back down at his own homework. "Friday the 14th. I will be accepted and loved, by the one I love." . He looked over at Ron and sighed inwardly. 'I wish this was true. I wish you loved me Ron.' He could rember exactly the moment he realized he loved Ron. It was in their fourth year, when Dobby had woken Harry up telling him " Your Wheezy sir, they got your Wheezy." In the time under water, when he had thought for the moment that he might have lost his best friend, he realized that Ron was more than just a friend. He was the one Harry loved.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
Hermione's voice brought Harry back to reality. He closed his eyes for a moment and then turned, looking at her to ask her what she wanted.  
  
Ron realized that he would just have to wing it the next day. Harry and Hermione were laughing over Ron's already finished divination homework. Suddenly Harry stopped laughing and pointed at something on Ron's chart, then pointed to his own. Ron stood up and stretched, walking over to see why they had stopped laughing.  
  
"It's just a coincedence."  
  
"A freaky coincedence!" Harry insisted.  
  
"Still. Just a coincedence."  
  
"What is 'just a coincedence'?" Ron asked.  
  
"WELL, you and Harry predicted the same thing happening on the same day. Not word for word, but pretty close."  
  
"That is weird." Ron said.  
  
Harry suddenly looked at his watch. "I think it's time we get to bed. We have Muggle studies first thing tommorrow." He picked up his books and began walking up to their dorm.  
  
Hermione waited untill Harry was gone from sight. "When are you gonna tell him you love him? I think you should."  
  
"I can't stand to be rejected by him, Hermione. It's not like any other person, Fleur, or Padva. I didn't mind the fact that they didn't like me. But this is my best friend. What is he doesn't feel the same? I'll lose my best friend, 'asides you of course."  
  
"Of course."Hermione picked up the piece of paper with his lines from his movie on it. "This looks like the perfect way to me." She said, tossing the paper back at him. "Good night."  
  
"Night"  
  
He looked after her retreating back and decided to flip a galleon. If it landed on heads, well he would tell Harry. But if it landed on tails, he wouldn't.  
  
Fishing a galleon out of his pocket, he tossed it up in the air. Seeing the result, he picked it up, sighed and trudged up to bed.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day in Muggle Studies...  
  
"Are you ready to give your speech?" Harry asked Ron, sitting down next to him.  
  
"As ready as I'll evr be." Ron replied.  
  
"It'll be okay." Harry told him, squeezing his shoulder.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
The bell rang and in sprinted their teacher, Professor Andrew Smith. "Okay class. Lets get started. Neville, why don't you go first?"  
  
Neville nodded and stood up. He walked to the front of the class.  
  
Ron honestly tried to listen to everyone give their presentations, but it was really hard. he was thinking about his own. When there were only about five left, Harry was called up.  
  
"I got the movie, The Replacements staring Keanu Reeves. It's a movie about an american football player, thats American football by the way, who is recruited to be the quarterback on a professional team, after the normal players go on strike. After viewing this movie I decided to use these lines. This is from the scene of the final game they will play as pro football players. Keanu Reeves is talking." he cleared his throat, smiled and then began. "'This is the part where I should say something inspirational, but that just wouldn't be our style. Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever.' I chose these lines because of the game we have tommorrow as Gryffindors. This is what I will be thinking the whole time. Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts FOREVER!" he raised his arms and yelled to emphasize the word 'forever'. Everyone is the whole class started clapping and cheering.  
  
"That was very inspiring, Mr. Potter. Lets see what Mr. Weasley has to follow that." Proffesor Smith said.  
  
Ron stood up and cleared his throat. He walked to the front of the classroom. "Unfortunetly, I didn't get quite as exciting a moive as some of you, such as The Replacements or The Matrix or even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," Ron began and the class laughed. "I got a semi sappy movie, called Ten Things I Hate About You, It's got two mini plots, but you'de have to watch it to understand. I debated forever about how these lines could fit into my life, considering they are like confessions of love, and you all know about my non-existent love life."  
  
The girls began to whisper among themselves about how it wasn't for their lack of trying.  
  
Harry looked at his best friend and noticed how he was slightly blushing, just the tips of his ears were red. Something only a best friend would notice. Harry got the horrible feeling that Ron was going to express his love for someone. Not that it mattered who it was. Any girl in this class would give their right arm to go out with Ron, some of the guys too.  
  
"Anyways, here are my lines, I guess." He gulped again and his face turned red.  
  
" 'I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair. I hate the way you drove my car. I hate it when you stare. I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind. I hate you so much it makes me sick-- It even makes me rhyme. I hate the way you're always right. I hate it when you lie. I hate when you make me laugh--Even worse when you make me cry.  
  
I hate it when you're not around, and the fact that you didn't call.  
  
But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you-- Not even close, not even a little bit, not any at all.' "  
  
Everyone in the class was deadly silent. This was coming from the continual joker? The one who was most definetly Fred and Georege's younger brother? He waited until basically their last ever class to become serious? Everyone wanted to hear this.  
  
"I chose these as a way to tell the person I love, that I love them."  
  
"Who is it?" Dean yelled from the back of the room.  
  
Ron turned even redder if possible, and said, "The person I love will understand this, and you can ask among yourselves to see who gets it." He looked right at Harry and said, "You've been my friend through thick and thin, lakes and wars, you know everything about me, and yet nothing at all. The day we met, I'll never forget. I'll always be there when you fall. I love you."  
  
Harry was on the recieving end of this gaze and he noticed the tear run down Ron's cheek. He didn't really understand who Ron was talking to though.  
  
Ron picked up his bag and walked out of the classroom as the bell rang. Harry just sat in his chair and didn't notice all the nasty looks girls were giving him. Hermione looked at him.  
  
"Have you figured it out yet, Harry?"  
  
"He's in love with you, isn't he, Hermione? I knew it. It makes sence about the lakes and wars thing. I mean you both were under the lake together and helped each other out during the war with Voldemort. the "I'll always be there when you fall" is kind of confusing though."  
  
Hermione looked shocked. "Harry, Ron, he was talking about you."  
  
Harry looked up quickly. "He was?"  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course he was. He's loved you for years."  
  
Harry stood up quickly. "Where did he go?"  
  
Hermione held out a piece of parchment and Harry recognized it as the Maureders Map. he scanned it quickly and saw Ron sitting up in the owlery.  
  
he picked up his bags and sprinted from the room, yelling " Thanks Hermione! You're the best."  
  
Hermione smiled and began picking up her stuff.  
  
"Did I hear someone yelling you were the best?" Asked a familiar voice.  
  
"Yep. You should be jealous."  
  
"Oh, I am. Don't worry."  
  
Familiar arms wrapped themselves around Hermione. "So have Potty and Weasel finally admitted their love for each other?"  
  
"Don't call them that, Draco."  
  
"Sorry love."  
  
"But yes, they have." Hermione turned to recieve a kiss and smiled. "Finally.  
  
Across the school...  
  
"Mind if I join you?"  
  
Ron looked up, surprised to see Harry standing there. "Uh, no."  
  
Harry sat down, "Thanks."  
  
"Listen, Harry. I just want to say that I'm..." his words were silenced as Harry kissed him.  
  
"Shhhh. You talk to much." Harry whispered.  
  
"I'll never speak again." Ron vowed.  
  
Harry laughed and kissed him again. "I love you Ron. I always have, and I always will."  
  
"I love you too. Forever and always."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
Ron looked into Harry's beautiful green eyes and said "I swear on your eyes. I'll always love you."  
  
They kissed again.  
  
Across the school yet again...  
  
"It's done professor."  
  
"Very good, Andrew. It's about time." Dumbldore stood up and said, "the four of them have been hiding for years. I was so happy when Hermione and Draco got together, and I thought Harry and Ron would catch the hint, but they didn't."  
  
"Which is why I assigned that last project as a final. I knew one of them would come out and admit it."  
  
Dumbledore nodded, his eyes twinkling. "Yes. It worked. Finally, we can be assured that things are as they should be." 


End file.
